


The Mckinnon Name Lives On

by storiofmylife



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Gen, Marauders' Era, Second War with Voldemort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-15
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-06-08 12:05:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6853879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiofmylife/pseuds/storiofmylife
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The knowledge of Marlene Mckinnon's fate had always been slightly sketchy. Perhaps it wasn't as sad as we were lead to believe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Mckinnon Name Lives On

**Author's Note:**

> I adore Marly as a character and ended up wanting to think up an alternative of her timeline after Hogwarts. Lia Mckinnon is an original character of my own.

Most believe that the entire Mckinnon family was killed by Death Eaters in October 1981 however that is an in the moment constructed lie. True, the Death Eaters enacted an extermination of the Mckinnon family but they did not actually kill them all as believed. Marlene and Lia Mckinnon were the last of the family to survive. Believing they had been successful the Death Eaters left Marlene and her family for dead. To ensure there would be no survivors as well as to prove a point, they burned down the house. However before anyone could put out the fire Marlene disguised two bodies of Death Eaters to look like her and her sister. Lia was unconscious when she apparated them out of the burning building to a random countryside.

There Marlene and Lia Mckinnon died, they took away their own names. Knowing just how dangerous it was to have such reputations, Marly and Lia learned to live in the wild. Healing their physical and emotional wounds, Marlene and her younger sister stayed away from the war. The fiery spirit of Marlene had gone. She no longer wanted to be a part of a world that caused such tragic pain. She would rather stay away since the grief of her family’s death dug too deep into her psyche. With all that she had lost Marlene Mckinnon couldn’t imagine a world of peace.

Lia Mckinnon was the opposite. Usually the sister to think rationally and decide on a plan first before action, now was different. The loss of her family made her angry and volatile. Lia wanted to enact revenge. It caused a rift between the sisters. Once they used to be a united front but now they were separating. They couldn’t agree on what to do next.  
They’d made a home for themselves in a cabin in the countryside of France. Marlene loved it there. Nothing was required of her and she could feel herself beginning to heal. Her affiliation with nature was always something that had been strange for someone like her. The Gryffindor was fiery and hyper while nature was consistently calmer than her. She would spend her days laying out in the fields, interacting with the few Muggles around and learning to provide for her and her sister without the use of magic. The ways of Muggles became second nature to her.

Lia took advantage of the freedom from Hogwarts’ walls. She mingled with the towns nearby and went out of her way to secretly acquire magical books on charms and spells. She spent the free time reading magically disguised books so Marly wouldn’t know she was learning magic after it was what ruined their lives.  
It was three months later when they finally parted ways. Lia had had enough of staying out of the Wizarding War. She returned to Hogsmeade with a glamour charm and a different name. When she returned to visit Marlene she gave her sister the news of the Potters’ death as well as Sirius’ betrayal. Marlene Mckinnon decided that her heart would no longer be open. There was only so much she could take.

Under a disguise, Marlene reentered the Wizarding World to discover just what had happened while she was gone. She grieved all over again for those she lost and vowed to never sit back when there was trouble again. Even after all the years before the Second Wizarding War, Marlene craved revenge for everything that had occurred to her friends and family. She stayed hidden, however, knowing that not all the Death Eaters were captured and she wanted to keep the safety that being dead gave. Secretly the brunette would keep track of Remus Lupin over the years as well as the Longbottoms. She would go to visit them under an alias often but over time she continued to stay in the shadows of both Wizarding and Muggle worlds.

Lia continued her personal studies but took up a job in the Muggle World to support herself. On occasion the sisters would catch a glimpse of one another but it took the entrance of young Harry Potter for them to reunite. It hurt Marlene more than anything to view any images or sightings of Harry Potter. He reminded her so much of Lily and James. Marly also kept tabs on Arthur and Molly Weasley and all their children. She kept watch over them as a way to make up for not being around before. There were instances that she was nearly recognized by an old classmate, however with a quick Obliviate the threat was gone.

She and Lia began to reconnect. They talked out their guilt, doubts, and pain with one another and figured out how they could better each other. Becoming sisters once more, Marlene felt like it would be alright to maybe reveal her true identity again. However it was the very first notion of Voldemort’s return that held her back. As soon as she realized the dark wizard could still be alive she felt her need for revenge resurface once more.

  
This time she had her sister beside her. With Lia’s strategic mind and Marlene’s passionate will, the two witches found themselves at the front lines of trying to prevent his return. They were nearly caught by Aurors plenty of times but always managed to slip away. Lia wanted to be more active in the Wizarding community and ended up getting a job at Hogwarts as an Alchemy professor. McGonagall had been suspicious of her, having spent so many years with the Mckinnon family in Hogwarts. Lia was forced to reveal her identity to both McGonagall and Dumbledore. Which in turn meant Marlene Mckinnon had to reveal herself as well. In a grungy room of Hog’s Head Inn; Marlene, Lia, McGonagall and Dumbledore were all reunited. The girls were forced to prove their identities—the thought of the Mckinnon girls alive all those years was hard to believe.

  
Under Marlene’s begging the professors agreed to keep their secret. Dumbledore wanted to take advantage of this secret and used Marlene for her insight and ability to move around the shadows. It wasn’t until the Order of the Phoenix was reinstated that she began to realize that she couldn’t stay secret much longer. It was in the summer of 1995 when she entered 12 Grimmauld Place and revealed to the Order her identity. In much Marlene Mckinnon fashion she strode right in with McGonagall at her side and caused near chaos. Mary MacDonald was the one who held their wand up to her first. It was hard for the girl to believe there was still one of her best friends alive. It took everyone weeks to really adjust to her being back. Those she went to school with had a hard time believing she wasn’t dead.

  
What Marlene found was the hardest was having to be asked if anyone else was secretly alive. It hurt her more inside to know that the universe wasn’t that kind. She suffered greatly from survivor’s guilt for most of her life. Marlene knew that if another war was to come then she would rather die in it than survive any longer.  
She was one the few in the Order who suffered deeply at the death of Sirius Black. She disappeared for a week without any word. Marlene went where she always did when she needed space. The old cabin in France. It was owned under her alias and since no one but Lia knew it existed, there was no chance of her being disrupted. It was Lia who convinced her to come back.

  
Molly would constantly check in with her and ensure that she was doing well. It annoyed her slightly but Marly couldn’t hold it against her; Molly had always been like that. Somehow Marly still managed to get Remus to have fun with her—something nearly unheard of during that time. Though she was more reserved than before. Her wit was dry and her ability to laugh was nearly nonexistent. She became one of the few to spend time with Kingsley in silence or even managing to get him to discuss strategies. Arthur was always asking her about her time in the Muggle World and she never once felt annoyance at all the questions. Nymphadora Tonks and Marly managed to get on well. The two would often be seen sneaking around with a bottle of firewhiskey hidden beneath their robes. Mad-Eye would call on her when it came to needing things done in secret. Her alias was very well documented and was helpful in the fight against Voldemort.

  
While they hadn’t argued in a long time, Lia and Marlene disagreed over whether or not the younger girl could join the Order. Marlene was terrified of losing someone else in her family. Secretly, though, she knew that she wouldn’t make it through the Second War and wanted the Mckinnon line to continue on. Her sister was young and had so much potential. Her need to protect caused slight tension in the sisters but Lia became an Order member nonetheless. With the decision made Marly accepted it.

  
Having gotten used to time on her own Marlene decided to find an abandoned house only a few blocks from 12 Grimmauld Place. She didn’t bother to furnish it besides the necessary items. After all, she spent most of her time at the headquarters for the Order or doing missions. Lia would sometimes come visit on her time off or on weekends. On the instances her visits were unannounced, Marlene would walk in and find her house suddenly warm and bright. Lia would be in the kitchen cooking for her. Somehow the ability to cook and bake never left the Mckinnon siblings.

  
During her time in France as well as when she returned to the Order, Marlene never once showed any romantic interest in anyone. Inside Marly knew she didn’t have the ability to be anything but platonic with any person. She’d always shrug off questions and say, “I’m not made to love.” Marlene didn’t believe that she would ever be worthy of such a feeling. It was a belief she would carry to her last day.

  
In the beginning of her return Marly didn’t want to be introduced to Harry and his friends. She would often avoid being around Grimmauld when the students were there. At times the younger Order members would be suspicious of her since she was never really around long if they were there and didn’t talk much or acknowledge them in any way. It was just before Fleur and Bill’s wedding when she introduced herself to Harry. The two hit it off and she found herself growing fond of the boy and his two best friends.  
Marlene was one of the many who died at Hogwarts during the final battle. She died defending the beliefs she held as well as avenging the ones she lost. There were a few things she was grateful for that she listed in her head during the battle; meeting Lily and James’ son and killing Travers for murdering her family. Lia was fighting in the battle as well. It was Marlene who took the Avada Kedavra in place of her. Dying in Lia’s arms Marlene left peacefully. To Lia, it seemed as if Marly had fallen asleep with a good dream instead of on a battlefield.

  
The smile on her sister’s face stuck with her and it was knowing she was finally at peace that helped her over the following years to heal from grief. Lia continued to teach Alchemy at Hogwarts once it was rebuilt—and was one of the witches who helped rebuilt the magnificent castle. A few years after the war Lia was given the title of Head of Ravenclaw House. She went on to marry Gunther Buchanan, a former Ravenclaw who had also survived both wars. He was a few years older than her but the two had managed to keep in touch since it became publicly known she was the last remaining Mckinnon.

  
When Marlene arrived at a Limbo like place she was greeted by her family. The location was strangely familiar to her but she couldn’t quite place it right away. The light grass beneath her feet was the only coloring of nature she could find. There was a white barked tree with no leaves and the sky was as white as it could get; as if a snow storm was to arrive. She cried for the first time in years in the arms of her family. Her entire body and soul felt in ease for once and the pain and heaviness of her life had finally lifted.  
After her family came Lily and the other friends that had passed away. Her reuniting with Lily was also filled with tears and when she pulled away Marly whispered to her best friend, “You should be proud of your son.”

  
She felt excitement for the first time since her Hogwarts years. It was time for another adventure for Marlene Mckinnon.


End file.
